How to find reliable sources for your research paper

Posted by MichealH Alexander on December 26th, 2019

Finding reliable sources for your research is incredibly important. Undoubtedly, it is essential for you to avoid unreputable sources to achieve a high grade. So, as tempting as it is, for you to use whatever comes up in Google avoid this as this may reduce the credibility of your paper.

TIP ONE – Avoid Wikipedia – it is not a reliable source!

Although Wikipedia can provide you with a wealth of knowledge, it is not considered to be a reliable source. This is because anyone access and edit articles.

But, what if you find some useful information on Wikipedia? You should find out where it was referenced from. You can do this by looking at the references section at the bottom of the page. After, you need to assess the site to see if it is reputable. Best Plagiarism Checker for Research Papers

TIP TWO – Use Google Scholar

One of the best ways to find academic papers is to use Google Scholar. Google Scholar is basically an academic version of the normal Google search engine. The site allows you to search for articles and books from academic publishers, universities, and depositories. Google Scholar will list citations and gives you links to peer-reviewed academic journals, abstracts, technical reports, and more. When it comes to finding reputable sources you cannot go wrong with Google Scholar.

TIP THREE – Check the author’s credentials

Who is the author of the article you are reading? What are their credentials? There is a lot of information available on the internet which may be written by people who are not reputable. Sourcing information from these unreliable sources may be detrimental to your work. So, check out the author’s website, LinkedIn, and/or any social profiles. This should give you a good idea about whether or not the author is reputable or not. Research Proposal Writing

TIP FOUR – Don’t forget the library

Often this rich source of information is overlooked by students. Though it may be convenient to source information online you can also find a wealth of reputable information in the library. Focusing on online sources may mean that you miss out on stumbling upon a book that might just be the perfect source for your research paper.